A Different Road
by Devilstrap478
Summary: Dean shows up at Sam's door, not only to enlist his aid in the search to find their dad, but also because he is dying. See how the road changes if Dean has an incurable illness.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural

Chapter 1

Sam sat up abruptly. He wasn't sure what had woken him, but his hunter instincts, although mainly forgotten, would not let him ignore the quiet noises coming from his kitchen. Slipping silently from the bed, he tread softly towards the source of the sound, being very careful to not wake Jess. Sam's eyes narrowed as he saw the shadowed form of an unknown man walking through his home. Creeping towards the dark figure, who had now started rummaging through his fridge; Sam shot his hand out, and grabbed the figure's shoulder, trying to bring the person, or thing, down. But the figure quickly snatched the offending hand and slammed them both to the ground, with the dark figure straddling him.

"Hey Sammy, you miss me? A bit out of practice huh?" A familiar voice said. Throwing the figure off him and reversing the positions, Sam responded with an annoyed tone.

"You were saying Dean? And it's Sam, not Sammy." Sam picked himself off the ground, and offered a hand to the fallen man. Grinning, Dean firmly grasped the offered hand and hauled himself up.

"Sam, why are you up? And who's that?" A tired voice said. Jess had awoken during the scuffle, and was staring at Sam with a raised eyebrow. Sam shot Dean a look, and then moved so he was standing next to his long time girlfriend.

"Jess, this is Dean, my brother. Dean, this is—"

Dean quickly cut Sam off with a cocky grin. "Jess, your girlfriend right? Let me just say that you are way too good for my brother."

Jess glanced at Sam and saw his form tensing. Quick to diffuse the tension, Jess interrupted the beginning of what was sure to be a long argument. "This is great and all, but why is he here."

At this, Sam turned to Dean with an exaggerated questioning look. "Yeah Dean, why _are_ you here?"

Dean rolled his eyes, and then all of a sudden, his once mocking tone turned serious. Seriousness that was quite uncommon for him.

"Dad's gone missing. He went on a hunt, and hasn't been home for days. Also, I have something urgent to tell you. But it can wait until we find dad."

Sam started at this, and turned to Jess with an apologetic look in his eyes. "Can you please let us have some time alone? I need a moment to talk to Dean."

Jess looked at Sam, unsure whether or not to protest. But with a small nudge towards their bedroom, she reluctantly walked back to bed. But silently she resolved to ask Sam about the situation in the morning.

As soon as Jess left the room, Sam turned to Dean, and said in a hurried voice. "So, dad's missing. But that doesn't explain why you're here."

Dean shot Sam a look that screamed 'duh, why do you think I'm here. To say hello?'. "I need your help to find him, genius. I can't do this alone. Plus, like I said earlier, there's something important that you need to know."

Shifting nervously, Dean stared at Sam pleadingly, silently begging for him to say yes. But Sam ignored it, and turned away from his brother.

"Dean, I can't. I have a life here. A girlfriend, an education. Hell, I'm having an interview for law school soon. I can't just drop that to come with you," Sam said. Anxiously running his hands through his hair.

"Look Sammy, I wouldn't come if it wasn't important. I stayed away for two years, all I ask is for help to find dad, and for you to listen to me." Ushering Sam outside where his beloved Impala was, Dean trudged to the trunk filled with weapons. Taking out a green bag, he pulled forth a bottle of pills.

"Do you know what this is?" Dean asked Sam in a serious tone, gently closing the trunk door.

"No idea. I study law, not medicine." Sam glanced back to the house, obviously wanting to go back to his girlfriend and bed. "Look Dean, what's with all of this? Why is it important?"

"God dammit! Be patient Sam! Anyway, of course you don't recognize it. Because it was made specifically for me. I'm dying Sammy, and dad knew this. Why do you think we were still hunting together? You and I both know that I am capable of hunting on my own, but now, I need the help. And… you really never know when my disease could act up. But now dad's missing, I don't know if he is dead from his hunt or if he left me. But Sam, I need your help…. Sam?"

Sam looked at Dean with his puppy dog eyes, which were slowly filling with tears. "Oh my gosh Dean. Why didn't you come sooner? You should have called or something. I could have—"

Dean slammed his hand on the trunk, cutting off Sam mid sentence. "You could have what, Sam! Helped me? You know I won't settle down and live an apple pie life like you. Hunting is in my blood, and it's what I wanted to do. It's what I needed to do. Dad may not have understood why I wanted to continue hunting, but he accepted that and helped me. There really is nothing you could have done."

After Dean finished his tirade, there was a long moment of silence. Nothing was said, for there were too many thoughts whirling in both of their heads. The night was still, as if Dean's rant had scared them to silence. Until Sam finally asked a question that was wriggling in the back of his mind.

"What illness do you have? Cancer, leukemia?"

Dean shook his head with a wry smile on his face. "Tuberculosis."

Sam looked shocked. "I though they have a drug to cure that."

"They do, it just doesn't work on me." Dean held up the bottle of pills still grasped in his hand. "These help keep it contained, but as far as I know, it's incurable."

Sam jolted, as if struck by lightning. "It is supernatural? Maybe, some witch or something cursed you!"

Dean looked sadly at Sam. "Sometimes people just get all the luck. Trust me, it's not supernatural related."

Sam looked at the night sky, sending a prayer to God, asking him what he should do. Go with his dying brother and find his dad, or stay with Jess. After a few moments of deliberation, Sam finally made up his mind.

"I'm not letting you go off on your own Dean, but once we find dad, I'm coming back to Jess. Deal?"

"…. Deal." Dean looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but that quickly faded into acceptance. Sam puzzled over Dean's look, asking himself, acceptance for what exactly? But the look got pushed to the back of his mind when he realized that he had to say goodbye to Jess and tell her where he was going. Quickly telling Dean that he would be right back, Sam raced back to his house. Not knowing that he should have puzzled over Dean's look for a bit longer.

As Sam raced back to the house, Dean's eyes grew hazy as he got lost in his own, self depreciating thoughts. I knew it, Dean thought. A small part of him had known that Sam would not want to stay with him, but all he wanted was for his family to be whole again. As least until he died. But it had always been this way. Sam and John, with Dean in the middle. And it seemed, that it would always be this way.

Dean glanced sadly towards the window of the house, the scene of Sam kissing Jess goodbye imprinted in his mind. And Dean accepted that his was to be his life. Always being abandoned by the ones he cared for the most. At least he'll be with his brother, but who knows how long that will last.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural

Chapter 2

Dean slammed the door shut as he got out of the Impala. They had arrived in the town of Long Beach California, a sunny and cheery looking place. If it had not been for the mysterious disappearances, it would have been a great vacation spot. Probably why all of people who disappeared are tourists. Sam groggily got out of the other side of the car, still half asleep from the all night car ride. Dean chuckled, amused at Sam's unkempt appearance.

"Why are we here Dean? I thought that we are trying to find dad."

"I already told you. I saw in the newspaper that people were disappearing here. Eva McShane, 12 years old, was the last person who went missing. She and her parents were vacationing here, when suddenly she went missing at the Long Beach Boardwalk. She's the ninth person to go missing. This was one week ago. Don't you want to save her? I'm sure dad would. Maybe he saw this in the newspaper too. And even if he didn't, we should help anyway."

Sam suddenly looked more alert, quickly falling back into the familiar mindset needed to be a hunter.

"What do you think it is? Spirit, shifter, or some other creature?"

"Spirit most likely. Although, I haven't gotten the chance to research the Boardwalk. Not enough resources. I hope you're more awake now, because we're heading off to interview the girl's parents."

Sam reached into the Impala, pulling out a cigar box full of fake ID's. Rummaging through, he pulled out the two FBI ID's, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Wow Dean, I can't believe you still have mine! When dad told me to never come back, I was sure he would have thrown them away."

"Well, I guess he decided not to." Dean looked away awkwardly. It was actually him who had told their father not to throw away Sam's hunter things. Sam shut the door and started walking to where the newspaper said Eva's family was staying.

"Okay, let's go."

"Wait!" Dean called out, quickly opening the trunk of the car. He pulled out the bottle of pills and slipped them into his pocket. After taking one look at Sam's face, Dean rolled his eyes.

"Geez Sammy, I may have Tuberculosis, I may have some incidences once in awhile, but I'm not an invalid. So don't look at me like that." Jogging quickly to catch up with Sam, they both headed off to where the local beach houses were.

Once they arrived to the house of the McShanes, Sam rang the doorbell, which echoed through the house with a shrill ring. The brother winced as the sound rattled their ear, although Dean more so than Sam. The door opened, and a haggled woman stood in the door.

"Hello? Can I help you?" The grief for her daughter was evident in her tone.

"Sorry to bother you ma'am, but we have some questions for you about your daughter." Sam and Dean pulled out their FBI badges. Glancing wearily behind her, the woman quietly opened the door and gestured them inside. The weary glance was directed towards her husband, who was very high strung due to the disappearance of Eva. Mrs. McShane ushered the man up the stairs, then led the two brothers to the sitting room.

"Ok. Let's get this over with. What do you want to know? The police have already come by several times." Picking up the cooling tea already sitting on the table, Mrs. McShane took a big gulp.

"We'll be brief." said Sam, glancing at Dean. Nodding his head, Dean took out a small notepad.

"These are just standard questions we have to ask. Did Eva mention seeing anything strange during the day of her disappearance?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary. Eva was really excited to go to the boardwalk, she always loved playing in the ocean." started to choke up, and took another sip.

"You've heard of the other disappearances right? Do you think they have anything to do with this?"

"No! The others were all adults, my Eva is just a child. She didn't do anything wrong. But be honest, do you think you she is alive?" Sam gently patted her knee.

"We are doing everything we can to find her. If you give as many details as possible, it would help. Last question. Do you know anyone that could do this to her? Anyone that has threatened you or your husband in the past?" Sam said, trying to be as gentle as possible.

"Well. There is one person. He didn't exactly threaten, but my husband and him had some sort of rivalry. He works at the souvenir shop down at the boardwalk, the Green Bungalow. His name is Ed Silen, he's the manager there."

Flipping his notebook shut, Dean said "Thank you for your time. This will help a lot." Mrs. McShane led the two out, and they headed back to the car.

"Okay Sammy. Let's get a hotel, and head down to the boardwalk. Let's see…" Dean glanced down at his watch. After seeing the time, he pulled out a couple pills and swallowed them.

"Oh yeah, Dean. I just realized I need to know what times you take your pills. Just in case you forget, I can remind you." Dean shot Sam a wry grin.

"Do you really think so little of me? But yeah, sure. I take it at 10 in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, and 8 in the evening."

It hadn't hit Sam until now, but now he could see that Dean had obviously changed from when he last saw him. The old Dean would have argued more, been more angry that Sam hadn't trusted him. Whether this was a good change or not, he didn't know. Climbing into the car, Sam looked outside the window, silently reflecting on what he had missed.

Arriving at the Rodeway Inn (the closest one to the Boardwalk), the brothers checked into room 24. After quickly unpacking a few items, they drove off to the Boardwalk.

The Green Bungalow wasn't exactly hard to find. Being a store that sells both souvenirs and clothing, it was extremely popular. With their cover stories already chosen, Sam and Dean spotted the owner of the store supervising the workers.

"Excuse me sir, my brother and I are thinking of buying some land here and building an ice cream store. We heard from someone that you are the person to ask when it comes to a successful business."

"Oh really" said the manager, "well I'm not surprised. The beaches here are very popular for tourists." As soon as the owner turned around Dean mouthed to Sam, 'Ice cream store? Really?' Sam only shrugged in response.

"So, we are having doubts whether or not to set up our business here because of the disappearances-" The manager quickly interrupted.

"THOSE disappearances? That's all just a bunch of bad luck. They shouldn't stop anyone from coming here."

"Word is you know the girl who's missing. Eva McShane?" The man turned around, a somber look on his face.

"Yeah, nice girl. Her father is no good, but little Eva was always around during her vacation time. Such a shame."

"Does anything strange happen around here? You know, something out of the usual that doesn't happen very often. Flickering lights, things like that." Sam asked. The manager shot Sam a funny look.

"Nothing real strange happens around here. That's one of the reasons why people come here." Dean jerked his head towards the exit door.

"Well, thanks for answering our questions. We will definitely set up our store soon. Have a nice day!" And with that, Sam and Dean hightailed it out of the store.

"So, what do you think? Does he seem suspicious?" Said Sam after they had exited the shop. Dean pondered on Sam's question, thinking back to everything the manager said.

"No, he seemed to genuinely like Eva, so I don't think he would have harmed her. And none of his reactions indicated he was a creature." Sam sighed. It seemed that the one lead they had turned out to be nothing.

"Guess we'll check out more of the boardwalk then. Where did you say she disappeared from again?" Dean smirked after hearing Sam's question.

"I didn't. And the newspaper didn't mention it either." Sam rolled his eyes in response.

"Great. So what do we do now, we can't exactly go back to her parents' house and ask them more-"

"Now Sammy, I never said I didn't know. I assume she disappeared where all the others disappeared. By the stone dock! It's not actually a dock made out of stone, it's a bunch of large rocks next to each other that go out to the ocean, and kids like to jump from one rock to another. It actually looks pretty fun." Dean grinned, and started walking away. Then Sam remembered something.

"Wait Dean! It's about 3. You should take your pills now." Dean quickly took out a couple pills and dry swallowed them.

"See? That's why I need you Sam. Now let's go!"


End file.
